Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02574534 2007-01-19
SKATE BOOT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lasted skate boot with an outer shell
comprising cloth
material laminated to a support made of a non-woven fabric, and wherein the
outer shell
further comprises plastic material fused with the non-woven fabric. The
invention also
relates to a method of making a lasted skate boot comprising such outer shell.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The construction of sporting boots used for sporting activities such as ice
skating, roller
skating, hiking, trekking and cross-country skiing has become quite complex
over recent
years. Existing sporting boots often include multiple different components,
and multiple
different materials in order to provide the sporting boot with the performance
and
aesthetic requirements imposed by consumers. As such, over recent years
different
manufacturing processes have been developed and new materials have been used.
U.S. Patent 3,807,062 discloses a boot having an inner layer formed of a rigid
material
for providing rigidity at selected locations such as the sole, heel and ankle
portion of the
foot; and an outer layer, which is molded over the inner layer. The boot is
thus
reinforced at selected area while other areas are more flexible.
U.S. Patent 4,509,276 discloses a skate boot made of a lower exterior molded
rigid
plastic portion and intermediate and upper portions made of pliable material
to allow
forward flexure and torsional flexibility in the ankle area.
U.S. Patent 4,777,741 discloses an article of footwear such as a shoe or
skate, which
comprises a molded outer shell and a semi-rigid molded tongue portion to close
the
footwear.
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U.S. Patent 5,339,544 discloses a footwear comprising a first component made
of a single piece
of molded synthetic material having a rear upper portion which extend from an
insole, and a
second component made of soft material having a front upper portion and a
lining. The two
components are connected together with the lining of the second component
inserted inside the
rear portion of the first component.
U.S. Patent 6,499,233 discloses a footwear comprising a structural molded
inner shell for
supporting and enclosing the foot and an outer skin bonded onto the outer
sides of the inner
shell.
These designs effectively reduce the number of components utilized in the
construction of
footwear or skate. However, the appearance of some of these designs is not
always appealing.
Thus there is a need in the industry for a skate boot having fewer components,
providing good
foot support and has an exterior look which may be made more appealing to the
consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect, the invention provides a lasted skate boot for
enclosing and
supporting a human foot when in use, the foot having a heel, an Achilles
tendon, an ankle
with a medial malleolus and a lateral malleolus, a plantar surface, medial and
lateral .sides, an
upper frontal portion and toes, the boot comprising: (a) an outer shell
comprising a heel
portion for surrounding the heel, an ankle portion for surrounding the ankle,
medial and
lateral side portions for enclosing the medial and lateral sides of the foot
respectively, the
outer shell comprising a first layer made of non-woven fabric fused with
injected plastic
material and a second layer made of cloth material and devoid of the injected
plastic material,
the first layer having been laminated to the second layer made; (b) an inner
lining made of a
soft material and having an inner surface for contacting the foot, the inner
lining being
affixed to an inner surface of the outer shell; (c) a toe box for enclosing
the toes, the toe box
being affixed to the medial and lateral side portions; and (d) a tongue for
facing the upper
frontal portion of the foot, the tongue extending upwardly and rearwardly from
the toe box.
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According to another aspect, the invention provides a method of making a
lasted skate boot
for enclosing a human foot when in use, the foot having a heel, an Achilles
tendon, an ankle
with a medial malleolus and a lateral malleolus, a plantar surface, medial and
lateral sides
and toes, the method comprising: (a) providing a male-female mold having male
and female
sections for defining a mold cavity therebetween, the male section having
sides, a rear
portion and a bottom portion for defining a three dimensional shape
corresponding to the
external three dimensional shape of the foot, the female section defining a
recess for
receiving the male section, the male section comprising a plurality of inner
channels for
admitting liquid plastic material in the mold cavity; (b) providing a pre-cut
sheet made of
1 o cloth material laminated to a non-woven fabric; (c) placing the sheet on
the male section of
the mold such that the non-woven fabric contacts the sides and rear portion of
the male
section of the mold; (d) closing the male and female sections of the mold; (e)
injecting liquid
plastic material in the inner channels at a temperature of between 160 C and
200 C and at a
pressure of between 985 psi and 1015 psi such that the liquid plastic material
spreads on the
sheet, pushes the sheet against the recess of the female section of the mold,
fills the mold
cavity and fuses with the non-woven fabric only to form, after cooling, an
outer shell having
a first layer made of non-woven fabric fused with injected plastic material
and a second layer
made of cloth material devoid of injected plastic material, the outer shell
comprising a heel
portion for surrounding the heel, an ankle portion for surrounding the ankle,
medial and
lateral side portions for enclosing the medial and lateral sides of the foot
respectively; (f)
opening the male and female sections of the mold; and (g) removing the outer
shell from the
mold.
These and other aspects and features of the present invention will now become
apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of
specific
embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A detailed description of examples of embodiments of the present invention is
provided
hereinbelow with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a human foot with the integument of the foot shown
in stippled
lines and the bones shown in solid lines;
Figure 2 is a front view of the human foot of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an ice skate comprising an outer shell in
accordance
with a the present invention;
Figure 4 is an exploded view of the ice skate of Figure 3
Figure 5 is a perspective view of male and female sections of a mold for
making the
outer shell;
Figure 6 is side view of the male and female sections of the mold of Figure 5,
where the
sheet used for making the outer shell is shown;
Figure 7 is side view of the male and female sections of the mold of Figure 5
with the
sheet placed over the male section of the mold;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the male and female sections, once
closed and with
the sheet in the mold cavity; and
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the outer shell.
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example. It is to
be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purposes of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended to be a
definition of the
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limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
To facilitate the description, any reference numerals designating an element
in one
figure will designate the same element if used in any other figures. In
describing the
embodiments, specific terminology is resorted to for the sake of clarity but
the
invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and
it is
understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
Shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a typical human foot F that includes toes T, a
plantar surface
PS, a medial side MS and a lateral side LS. In addition, the human foot
includes a heel
H, an Achilles tendon AT and an ankle A having a lateral malleolus LM and a
medial
malleolus MM, the lateral malleolus LM being at a lower position than the
medial
malleolus MM.
Shown in Figures 3 and 4 is an ice skate 1 that comprises a skate boot 10
suitable for
enclosing a right human foot F. The ice skate 1 has an outer shell 12, a toe
cap 14, a
tongue 24, a padding element 26 (optional component), an inner lining 22, a
footbed 28,
an insole 30, an outsole 32, an ice skate blade holder 16 and a blade 18.
The method of making the outer shell 12 will now be described in more detail
below
with respect to Figures 5 to 9. Figures 5 to 8 show a mold 34 for making the
outer
shell 12. The mold 34 is a male-female mold having a male section 36 and a
female
section 38 for defining a mold cavity therebetween.
As best seen in Figures 5 to 7, the male section 36 has medial and lateral
sides 40, 42,
a rear portion 44 and a bottom portion 46 for defining a three dimensional
shape
corresponding to the external three dimensional shape of the foot F. The rear
portion
44 may further comprise an upper portion 48 corresponding to the shape of the
Achilles tendon AT. The female section 38 has a recess 50 for receiving the
male
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section 36. As seen in Figure 7, the male section 36 comprises a plurality of
inner
channels 52 for admitting liquid plastic material in the mold cavity.
In order to make the outer shell 12, a pre-cut sheet 100 made of cloth
material (e.g.
polyester, nylon, carbon fibers, synthetic fibers or fiberglass) laminated to
a support
made of non-woven fabric. As it is well known in the art, non-woven fabric is
manufactured by putting small fibers together in the form of a sheet and then
binding
them either with an adhesive or by interlocking them with serrated needles
such that
the inter-fiber friction results in a strong fabric. The sheet 100 is after
placed on the
male section 36 of the mold such that the non-woven fabric contacts the sides
and rear
portions 40, 42, 44 of the male section 36 of the mold.
The male and female sections 36, 38 of the mold are then closed and liquid
plastic
material is injected in the inner channels 52 at a temperature of between 160
C and
200 C and at a pressure of between 985 psi and 1015 psi such that the liquid
plastic
material spreads on the sheet, pushes the sheet 100 against the recess 50 of
the female
section of the mold, fills the mold cavity and fuses with the non-woven fabric
to form
the outer shell 12. It is understood that non-woven fabric has to be of a
certain
thickness depending on the type of cloth used in order to create a barrier to
prevent
the plastic from going through the cloth during the injection process, while
the plastic
is in its liquid form. For example, for a cloth made of polyester TH3076/600D
SILVER, a non-woven fabric having a thickness of 0.8mm is used. There is a
number
of plastic materials that are suitable and can be used such as but not limited
to: surlyn,
ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nylon66,
hytrel,
polypropylene, polyethylene.
After cooling the male and female sections 36, 38 of the mold are opened and
the
outer shell 12 is finally removed from the mold. The excess material around
the
perimeter of the outer shell 12 may be trimmed after.
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It is understood that the plastic material enters in a liquid form in the
mold, fuses with the
non-woven material, and after about 10 seconds, the plastic is in a solid form
such that the
outer shell is made and the mold is open. The cycle time of the injection may
be between 60
seconds and 90 seconds. For example, it may take about 20 seconds to put the
sheet in the
mold, about 45 seconds to close the mold and inject the liquid plastic, about
10 seconds for
cooling, and about 15 seconds to open the mold and remove the outer shell.
As shown in Figure 9, the outer shell 12 comprises a heel portion 54 for
receiving the heel H, an
ankle portion 56 for receiving the ankle A and medial and lateral side
portions 58, 60 for facing
the medial and lateral sides MS, LS respectively. These portions 54, 56, 58,
60 form a foot
receiving cavity that conforms to the general shape of the foot F. The medial
and lateral side
portions 58, 60 extend forwardly from the heel portion 54. The heel portion 54
may be
substantially cup shaped for following the contour of the heel H. The outer
shell 12 has an inner
surface 62 facing the foot F when in use, and an outer surface 64. Because the
outer shell 12 is
made of plastic fused with the non-woven fabric of the sheet 100 previously
laminated with
cloth material, the outer shell 12 offers a good resistance to wear, abrasion,
cuts, impacts and
moisture.
The outer shell 12 may also comprise a tendon guard portion 66 for covering
the Achilles
tendon AT. As seen in Figure 6, the sheet 100 has then a portion 102 extending
over the upper
portion 48 of the male section 36 of the mold. It is understood that the
portion 102 may be
integrally formed with the sheet 100 (as shown in Figure 6) or can be a
separate sheet stitched to
the sheet 100. The separate sheet may be made of a different material than
that of the outer
shell 12. In some cases, a foxing portion 104 made of flexible TPU or PVC
material may be
affixed to the sheet 100 prior to placing the sheet 100 in the mold.
The ankle portion 56 may comprise a medial cup-shaped depression for receiving
the medial
malleolus MM and a lateral cup-shaped depression for receiving the lateral
malleolus LM, the
lateral depression being located slightly lower than the medial depression,
for conforming to the
morphology of the foot F.
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The medial and lateral side portions 58, 60 of the outer shell 12 may comprise
respective
medial and lateral skirts 68, 70 that are integrally formed therewith and
extend
downwardly therefrom. It is understood that the sheet 100 has then a portion
106
extending over the bottom portion 46 of the male section 36 of the mold.
Once the outer shell 12 has been obtained after the injection process, the
inner lining 22
may then be glued or sewed to the inner surface 62 of outer shell 12. The
inner lining 22
is made of a layer of soft material such as a sheet of polyester fabric or
synthetic leather
or fabric made from 100% nylon fibers, which are laminated with a 1.5 to 2mm
layer of
foam. The inner lining 22 comprises an inner surface that is adapted to
contact the skin
of the foot F in use. The padding element 26 can also be added between the
inner
surface 62 of the outer shell 12 and the inner lining 22.
As shown in Figure 4, two narrow bands 72 are secured to the upper portion of
each of
the side portions 58, 60. The narrow bands 72 are made of fabric, textile,
soft PVC
materials, synthetic leather or leather. In an alternative embodiment, a
single continuous
band that covers the upper portion of each of side portions 58, 60 and wraps
around the
rear of the ankle portion 56 can be used instead of two distinct bands 72.
Apertures 74 are then punched through the narrow bands 72, the outer shell 12
and the
inner lining 22. Once punched, the apertures 74 are reinforced by metallic
rivets (eyelets)
76 or any suitable means as is well known in the art of footwear construction.
The tongue 24 and toe cap 14 are then affixed to the outer shell 12. In a non-
limiting
embodiment, the toe cap 14 and the tongue 24 are pre-assembled prior to
installation to
outer shell 12. The tongue 24 is affixed to the toe cap 14 and extends
upwardly and
rearwardly from the toe cap 14 for covering the forefoot of the foot F. The
frontal edge
of tongue 24 can be sewn directly to toe cap 14 or can be fixed in an
alternative manner
known in the art. The toe cap 14 may be secured to the outer shell 12 by
sewing both
sides of toe cap 14 to each ends of the side portions 68, 70.
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A last is afterwards inserted into the inside cavity of the outer shell 12 in
order to
complete the construction of the boot. The last enables the outer shell 12 to
maintain
its shape when the skirts 68, 70 are affixed to the insole 32. A light sanding
of the
skirt 68, 70 and the insole 32 60 may be performed to partially even the lower
surface
of the boot and provide a flat surface on which the outsole 32 can be mounted.
The
blade holder 16 is then mounted on the outsole 32.
The footbed 28 can be inserted into the outer shell 12 in order to sit upon
the insole 30.
The footbed 28 has an upper surface 78 for receiving the plantar surface PS of
the foot F,
and a padding wall 80 that projects upwardly from the upper surface for
partially
cupping the heel H and extending up to a medial line of the foot F.
The above description of the embodiments should not be interpreted in a
limiting
manner since other variations, modifications and refinements are possible
within the
spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is
defined in the
appended claims and their equivalents.
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